Skein reel for winding machines



Nov. 2, 1965 G. DUDAsclK 3,215,363

SKEIN REEL FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Oct. l0, 1962 INVENTOR. G; EOEQE- DU DASQ K human? A TTOE/VE YS United States Patent 3,215,363 SKEIN REEL FOR WINDING lVlACl-HNES George Dudascik, Luzerne, Pa., assignor to The Duplan Corporation, Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Uct. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 229,535 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-127) The present invention relates to winding machines, such as cone winders, and more particularly to means in association therewith for supporting a skein of yarn which is to be rewound by the winding machine into package form.

As is well known, conventional winding machines, such as cone Winders, are provided with bobbin supports below the yarn rewinding means, which supports are usually in the form of upright spindles for receiving bobbins of yarn thereon, successive bobbins of yarn being rewound by the rewinding means to form the desired yarn package. It is apparent that such conventional winders cannot accommodate skeins of yarn to be unwound and formed directly into yarn packages.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide supporting means for skeins of yarn in association with a winding machine, which supporting means is in the form of a skein reel which is normally positioned below the winding head in an out-of-the-way position for unwinding the skein of yarn therefrom and which is movable to a readily accessible elevated position and collapsible to facilitate placement of the skein of yarn thereon.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a skein reel of the character described which is normally disposed beneath the yarn rewinding means of the winding machine in a depressed, skein unwinding position and which is movable upwardly and outwardly from the skein unwinding position to a readily accessible skein loading position and is collapsible to facilitate placement of the skein thereon.

A still more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved skein reel of the character described having means for releasably locking the same in each of the skein unwinding and skein loading positions.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a cone Winder showing the improved skein reel of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational View of the improved skein reel and a portion of the winding machine looking at the opposite side from the one shown in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the improved skein reel of the present invention.

- Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a winding machine which includes a base portion 11 which includes a flange portion 12 extending outwardly from the top thereof. Winder machine 1l) also includes a top portion 13 which includes spindles 14, only one of which is shown, which are adapted to receive yarn carriers on which the yarns Y are rewound into package form. Each of the spindles 14 is mounted on one end of a shaft 15 which extends through top portion 13 and has a pulley 16 mounted on the other end thereof. Pulley 16 supports one end of a belt 17 which is supported at its other end by a drive pulley 20 mounted on the outer end of a motor output shaft 21 of a suitable electric motor 22. Motor 22 is mounted on top portion 14 by a suitable bracket 23 and, in the winding machine shown, there is provided a separate motor for each spindle.

flice A drive pulley 24 is mounted on shaft 15 inwardly of pulley 16 and supports one end of a pair of belts 25 which are supported at their opposite end by a driven pulley 26. Driven pulley 26 actuates a yarn traversing mechanism 27 for traversing the yarn Y relative to spindle 14 to form the yarn package as the yarn is wound on the yarn carrier. The above recited winding machine structure is conventional and such winding machines are presently manufactured and sold by Foster Machine Company of Westeld, Massachusetts.

A bracket 30 is mounted on the front portion of flange 12 of base portion 11 by a suitable bolt 31 and includes an arcuate portion 32 formed integral therewith. A reel supporting member 33 is pivotally mounted at its upper end on bracket 30 by a bolt 34 with the upper end of the reel supporting member terminating adjacent arcuate portion 32 of bracket 30.

A iirst bearing member 35 is mounted on the upper end of reel supporting member 33- and has a vertical opening therethrough for slidably and guidingly mounting the upper end portion of a locking plunger 36. A second bearing member 40 is mounted on the same side of reel supporting member 33 in spaced relation to first bearing member 35 and also slidably and guidingly mounts locking plunger 36. A compression spring 41 surrounds locking plunger 36 above second bearing member 40 and has the lower end thereof engaging the upper surface thereof. The upper end of spring 41 engages a collar 42 lixed to plunger 36 by a set screw 43 in vertical spaced relation to second bearing member 40 and thereby serves to bias plunger 36 upwardly. A collar 44 is mounted on plunger 36 by a set screw 45 below second bearing member 40 and serves to limit the upward travel of plunger 36 relative to reel supporting member 33.

It is noted that arcuate portion 32 of bracket 30 has an opening therein in vertical alinement with the opening n irst and second bearing members 35 and 40 when reel supporting member 33 is in the vertical position for receiving the upper end portion of plunger 36 therein to releasably lock reel supporting member 33 in the vertical position. It is also noted that arcuate portion 32 of bracket 30 terminates in a free end portion adjacent the horizontal position of reel supporting member 33 so that plunger 36 will be disposed therebeneath when reel supporting member 33 is in the horiozntal position to releasably lock the same in this position..

A connecting link 46 has a bifurcated portion 46a at one end which receives the lower end portion of plunger 36 therebetween and is pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 47 and has the other end portion 4619 pivotally connected to one end of a crank member 50 by a pivot pin 51. Crank 50 is iixedly connected intermediate its ends to a strap member 52 which in turn is pivotally mounted on reel supporting member 33 by a bolt 53.

A collapsible skein reel or swift is generally indicated at 54 and includes a shaft 55 mounted at one end on the lower end portion of reel supporting member 33 and extending horizontally outwardly therefrom perpendicular to the axis of rotation of spindle 14. A rst pair of crossed members 56, 57 are mounted on the outer end portion of a sleeve bearing 58 which in turn is rotatably mounted on shaft 55. A collar 59 is mounted on sleeve bearing 58 outwardly of crossed members 56, 57 and serves to retain these members thereon. A second pair of crossed members 60, 61 are rotatably mounted on sleeve bearing 58 in spaced relation to said first pair of crossed members 56, 57. Crossed members 56, 57 and 60, 61 are maintained in spaced relation by a spacer member 62 surrounding sleeve bearing 58 therebetween. It is noted that members 56, 60 and 57, 61 are parallel to each other and that the end portions of these parallel memvaait-6,363

3 bers are connected by yarn supporting members 63, 64 respectively.

A pair of stop members 70, 71 are mounted on members 56 and 60, respectively, of said rst and second pairs and extend outwardly therefrom substantially horizontally when reel 54 is in the expanded position with the outer end portions thereof engaging the sides of members 57- and 61 to limit the relative movement of members 56, 57 and 60, 61 to the expanded position. Stop members 70, 71 are preferably of such a length that the same will engage members 57, 61 when these members are perpendicular to members 59, 60.

A compression spring 72 surrounds sleeve bearing 58 and has one end thereof engaging a washer 73 which in turn engages member 61 in frictional contact therewith. The other end of spring 72 engages a collar 74 xed to sleeve bearing 58 by a set screw 75. Spring 72 serves to bias crossed members 60, 61 against spacer member 62 and spacer member 62 against crossed members 56, 57 which in turn engage collar 59 to serve as a brake to retard relative rotation of the crossed members to either the collapsed or expanded position to releasably maintain the crossed members in each of these positions. It is noted that the retarding or braking force exerted on the crossed members may be adjusted by movement of collar 74 along sleeve bearing 58 toward or away from crossed members 60, 61.

A strap member 80 is looped around spacer member 62 and has a weight 81 attached to the ends thereof. It is noted that weight 81 pulls strap member 80 downwardly into braking engagement with spacer member 62 to retard rotation of reel or swift 54 to impart the desired tension to yarn Y during rewinding thereof. This retarding or braking force may be varied by varying the size of weight 81.

In operation, when it is desired to place a skein of yarn on reel 54, the operator grasps crank member 50 and moves the lower end portion thereof toward reel supporting member 33 which pivots the crank member about pivot pin 53. to move link 46 downwardly. This retracts locking plunger 36 out of the opening in arcuate bracket portion 32 against the action of spring 41. The operator then pivots reel supporting member 33 upwardly to a substantially horizontal position and releases crank 50 to permit spring 41 to move locking plunger 36 beneath the free end of arcuate bracket portion 32 to lock reel supporting member 33 in the horizontal position. The operator then collapses reel 54 by rotating members 56, 57 and 60, 61 on shaft 55 relative to each other to move yarn supporting members 63, 64 toward each other.

A skein of yarn is then placed on reel 54 and members 56, 57 and 60, 61 are moved away from each other until the free end portions of stop members 70, 71 engage the sides of members 57 and 61. It is noted that the yarn supporting members 63, 64 tension the skein of yarn when reel 54 is in expanded position and hold the same in a tensioned condition.v

The operator then pivots crank member 50 about pin 53 to retract plunger 36 from'beneath the free end of arcuate bracket portion 32 and returns reel supporting member 33 to the vertical, skein unwinding position. With reel supporting member 33 in this position, the operator releases crank 50 and spring 41 moves the upper end portion of plunger 36 into the opening in arcuate bracket portion 32 to lock reel supporting member 33 in vertical position.

It will therefore be apparent that an improved skein reel for a winding machine is provided which is normally positioned in an out-of-the-way, skein unwinding position and which is movable to a readily accessible skein loading position and is collapsible for facilitating placement of a skein of yarn thereon.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a winding machine for unwinding yarn from skeins and rewinding the yarn onto yarn carriers to form yarn packages, said winding machine including horizontally disposed spindle means for supporting and rotating the yarn carriers and yarn traversing means adjacent said spindle means for traversing the yarn along the yarn carriers during rewinding thereof; the combination of (a) a bracket mounted on said winding machine below each of said spindle means and said traversing means,

(b) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said bracket for mounting said supporting member for movement between a substantially vertical, out-of-the-way skein unwinding position and a substantially horizontal, readily accessible skein loading position spaced upwardly and outwardly from said skein unwinding position,

(c) a reel mounted on the other end of said supporting member for rotation about a horizontal axis disposed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said spindle means and being adapted to support the skein of yarn for unwinding, said reel being movable with said supporting member from said out-of-theway skein unwinding position to said readily accessible skein loading position and comprising first and second yarn supporting members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between expanded and collapsed positions to facilitate the placement of a skein thereon, and

(d) means carried by said supporting member and engageable with said bracket for releasably locking said supporting member in each of said vertical and horizontal positions.

2. Apparatus for supporting a skein of yarn for rewinding by a winding machine, said apparatus comprising (a) a bracket adapted to be mounted on said Winding machine,

(b) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement between a vertical, out-of-the-way skein unwinding position and a horizontal, readily accessible skein loading position spaced upwardly and outwardly from said skein unwinding position, and

(c) a collapsible reel rotatably mounted on said supporting member and adapted when in extended position to support the skein of yarnrfor unwinding, said reel being movable with said reel supporting member from said out-of-the-way skein unwinding position to said readily accessible skein loading position and comprising first and second yarn supporting members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between expanded and collapsed positions to facilitate the placement of the skein of yarn thereon.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 including (d) plunger means slidably carried by said supporting member and engageable with said bracket when said supporting member is in each of said skein unwinding and skein loading positions for releasably locking said supporting memberin said positions.

4. Apparatus for supporting a skein -of yarn for rewinding by a winding machine having yarn rewinding means, said apparatus comprising (a) a bracket adapted to be mounted on said winding machine below said yarn rewinding means,

(b) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement between a vertical, out-of-the-way skein unwinding position and a horizontal, readily accessible skein loading position spaced upwardly and out-V wardly from said skein unwinding position,

(c) a collapsible reel rotatably mounted on said supporting member and adapted to support the skein of yarn for unwinding, said reel being movable with said reel supporting member from said out-of-theway skein unwinding position to said readily accessible skein loading position and comprising first and second yarn supporting members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between expanded and collapsed positions to facilitate the placement of a skein of yarn thereon,

(d) brake means engaging said reel for retarding rotation thereof to impart tension to the yarn during rewinding thereof, and

(e) means carried by said supporting member and engageable with said bracket for releasably locking said supporting member in each of said positions.

5. Apparatus for supporting a skein of yarn for rewinding by a winding machine having yarn rewinding means, said apparatus comprising (a) a bracket adapted to be mounted on the winding machine below the yarn rewinding means,

(b) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement between a vertical, out-of-the-way skein unwinding position and a horizontal, readily accessible skein loading position,

(c) a collapsible reel rotatably mounted on said supporting member and adapted to support a skein of yarn for unwinding, said reel being movable with said reel supporting member from said out-of-theway skein unwinding position to said readily accessible skein loading position and comprising (1) a shaft having one end mounted on said reel supporting member and extending horizontally outwardly therefrom,

(2) a tirst pair of crossed members mounted for relative rotative movement on the other end of said shaft,

(3) a second pair of crossed members rotatably mounted on said shaft in spaced relation to said rst pair of crossed members, said crossed members of said second pair being parallel to the crossed members of said rst pair,

(4) yarn supporting members connecting the end portions of the parallel crossed members of said rst and second pairs, and

(5) stop means carried by one crossed member of each of said first and second pairs and engageable with the other crossed members to limit relative movement thereof to the expanded position,

(d) brake means engaging said reel for retarding rotation thereof to impart tension to the yarn during rewinding thereof, and

(e) means carried by said supporting member and engageable with said bracket for releasably locking said supporting member in each of said positions.

6. Apparatus for supporting a skein of yarn for rewinding by a Winding machine having yarn rewinding means, said apparatus comprising (a) a bracket adapted to be mounted on the Winding machine below the yarn rewinding means,

(b) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement between a vertical, out-of-the-Way skein unwinding position and a horizontal, readily accessible skein loading position spaced upwardly and outwardly from said skein unwinding position,

(c) a collapsible reel rotatably mounted on said supporting member and adapted to support a skein of yarn for unwinding, said reel being movable with said reel supporting member from said out-of-theway skein unwinding position to said readily accessible skein loading position and comprising first and second yarn supporting members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between expanded and collapsed positions to facilitate the placement of a skein of yarn thereon,

(d) brake means engaging said reel for retarding rotation thereof to impart tension to the yarn during rewinding thereof, and

(e) means carried by said supporting member and engageable with said bracket for releasably locking said supporting member in each of said positions and comprising (1) a plunger slidably mounted on said reel supporting member, said brackethaving an opening therein adjacent the upper end of said reel supporting member when the same is in said Vertical position, said plunger normally being disposed in said opening when said reel supporting member is in vertical position to lock said supporting member in said vertical position, said bracket terminating in a free end portion adjacent the horizontal position of said supporting member, said plunger being engageable with said free end portion of said bracket when said supporting member is in said horizontal position to lock said supporting member in this position,

(2) spring means biasing said plunger toward engagement with said bracket, and

(3) means pivotally mounted on said supporting member and connected to said plunger for facilitating movement of said plunger out of engagement with said bracket.

7. In a winding machine for unwinding yarn from skeins and rewinding the yarn onto yarn carriers to form yarn packages, said winding machine including means for supporting and rotating the yarn carriers and traversing means adjacent said yarn carrier supporting means for traversing the yarns along the yarn carriers during rewinding thereof; the combination of (a) an elongate reel supporting member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on said winding machine below each of said yarn carrier supporting means and said traversing means, said reel supporting members being movable between a substantially vertical, out-of-the-way skein unwinding position and a substantially horizontal, skein loading position spaced upwardly and outwardly from said skein unwinding position for ready access thereto,

(b) a reel rotatably mounted on the other end of each of said supporting members and being adapted to support a skein of yarn for unwinding, said reel comprising first and second yarn supporting members mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other between expanded and collapsed positions to facilitate the placement of a yarn skein thereon and being movable with said supporting member from said skein unwinding position to said skein loading position, and

(c) locking means releasably locking each of said reel supporting members in each of said horizontal and vertical positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 554,620 2/96 Foster 242-156 1,712,059 5/29 Trevett 242-131 1,968,474 7/34 Abbott 242-355 2,843,956 7/58 Richter 226-170 X MERVIN STElN, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner. 

1. IN A WINDING MACHINE FOR UNWINDING YARN FROM SKEINS AND REWINDING THE YARN ONTO YARN CARRIERS TO FORM YARN PACKAGES, SAID WINDING MACHINE INCLUDING HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SPINDLE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND ROTATING THE YARN CARRIERS AND YARN TRAVERSING MEANS ADJACENT SAID SPINDLE MEANS FOR TRAVERSING THE YARN ALONG THE YARN CARRIERS DURING REWINDING THEREOF; THE COMBINATION OF (A) A BRACKET MOUNTED ON SAID WINDING MACHINE BELOW EACH OF SAID SPINDLE MEANS AND SAID TRAVERSING MEANS, (B) AN ELONGATE REEL SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BEEN THEREOF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET FOR MOUNTING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, OUT-OF-THE-WAY SKEIN UNWINDING POSITION AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, READILY ACCESSIBLE SKEIN LOADING POSITION SPACED UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SKEIN UNWINDING POSITION, (C) A REEL MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS DISPOSED PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SPINDLE MEANS AND BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE SKEIN OF YARN FOR UNWINDING, SAID REEL BEING MOVABLE WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER FROM SAID OUT-OF-THEWAY SKEIN UNWINDING POSITION TO SAID READILY ACCESSIBLE SKEIN LOADING POSITION AND COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND YARN SUPPORTING MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER BETWEEN EXPANDED AND COLLAPSED POSITIONS TO FACILITATE THE PLACEMENT OF A SKEIN THEREON, AND (D) MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BRACKET FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER IN EACH OF SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL POSITIONS. 